Episode 1861 (15th November 1978)
Plot The taxi arrives to take the Langtons to the airport but Deirdre is adamant she's not going. She feels a new start would make no difference; the marriage is finished as she can no longer trust Ray. Blanche urges Deirdre to try afresh in Holland. Deirdre feels a husband and a home aren't enough without love. Mike is pleased with having spent a romantic evening with Carole Gordon. Deirdre worries that Ray will take Tracy away from her but he realises Tracy needs her more than him. He tells Deirdre he's going to go to Holland. He leaves without saying goodbye to Tracy. Carole knows Mike is using her to be his inside person at Bradleys. She tells him she won't be giving him orders in that way. He tells her he'll see her around. She tells him Bradleys are opening a boutique which will be bigger than the Western Front. Len drives Ray to the bus station and promises to keep an eye on Deirdre and Tracy for him. Cast Regular cast *Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander *Bet Lynch - Julie Goodyear *Blanche Hunt - Maggie Jones *Deirdre Langton - Anne Kirkbride *Fred Gee - Fred Feast *Annie Walker - Doris Speed *Steve Fisher - Lawrence Mullin *Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs *Ken Barlow - William Roache *Rita Fairclough - Barbara Knox *Mavis Riley - Thelma Barlow *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Ray Langton - Neville Buswell *Tracy Langton - Christabel Finch *Renee Roberts - Madge Hindle *Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire Guest cast *Carole Gordon - Louisa Rix Places *Coronation Street *Rovers Return Inn - Public *5 Coronation Street - Living room *Corner Shop *Baldwin's Casuals - Wages office *The Kabin *Unnamed restaurant Notes *Last appearance of Ray Langton until 2nd March 2005 aside from a cameo appearance in the 1997 spin-off video Viva Las Vegas!. *Last appearance of Blanche Hunt until 20th July 1981. *Also credited is Joyce Wentworth as Mrs. Lomas. As this character doesn't appear in the episode, it is possible that her scenes were cut before transmission. *This episode and episodes 1860 and 1862 were not transmitted by Border Television. A simmering dispute with the ACTT (Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians) union over levels of engineering staff had led to an overtime ban by the union, although other sources state that dispute was over the number of commercials to be transmitted. Whatever the cause, forty engineers were locked out by management from 12.55pm on Sunday 12th November however some enterprising members broke into the premises in Carlisle and staged a sit-in. The dispute continued until Tuesday 21st November when management and union started talks. Although Border made efforts to stage showings of the missed instalments of Edward and Mrs Simpson and Lillie, both major drama serials at the time, they seem to have made no effort to show the missed instalments of serials such as Coronation Street. *''TV Times'' synopsis: A row between Ray, Deirdre and her mother has a shock ending. How does Mike fare on his first date with Carole? *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 16,900,000 viewers (6th place). *This episode was included in the Network DVD collection Coronation Street: The Best of 1970-1979, released on 25th July 2005. Notable dialogue Deirdre Langton: "We were like Starsky & Hutch... a team. We used to eat off the same plate. I used to finish his sentences for him, his thoughts even. We had it that much together. T'world outside was something you just had to waste your time on now and again to earn a living or buy food. The real world was 'ere... Him, me and Tracy. It was perfect. Me whole body were laughing from morning 'til night. And then there were that fellah... the real world stuck a fist through one of me windows. But I got over it. It wasn't easy and for a long time I felt different but, I got over it. And then there was 'er, Janice. I just couldn't believe it... I mean, call me naive if yer like, I know anything goes these days but I just could not believe it. I could not understand how he could possibly be unfaithful to me. It was like that fellah all over again. Me whole body was freezing, me heart was dead... and I won't get over it this time, because I could understand that fellah in a way, but I'll never understand Ray. He had me, and he went to her." Category:1978 episodes Category:Episodes released on DVD